EUROPEAN TOUR: Ramsay moves into lead of European Masters as Lawrie gets double-bogey

AFP, CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland

Paul Lawrie of Scotland hits out of a bunker onto the 15th green in the third round of the European Masters tournament in the Swiss mountain resort of Crans-Montana on Saturday.

Photo: Reuters

Scotland’s Richie Ramsay moved into pole position of the European Masters after hitting a third-round 64 in the Swiss Alps, with compatriot Paul Lawrie losing the lead after a double-bogey.

Ramsay picked up birdies in three of his opening five holes before adding three more on the back nine to finish a weather-affected round on six under par and move to 11-under for the tournament, one shot clear of Lawrie and England’s Danny Willett.

Lawrie, who was named in the Europe team for the Ryder Cup, having last week won the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, had looked on course to top the leaderboard heading into the final day after climbing to first place on the back of an eventful start to his third round, which included an eagle-three on the first.

Following that he picked up four birdies, while dropping shots at the third and fifth, to reach the turn in 31 before adding another birdie at the 12th to move to 12-under.

However, a double-bogey seven at the 14th saw him drop back down and he could not pick up any more shots as he finished with four successive pars to card a 67.

Willett, meanwhile, followed up back-to-back 67s with a 68.

He too started with an eagle at the first, but dropped shots at the second, 13th and 16th threatened to leave him further down the leaderboard before he finished with successive birdies.

France’s Julien Quesne, who was the overnight leader a shot ahead of Willett, slipped back to fourth on nine-under after carding an even-par 70 on Saturday after play had been suspended by an hour and 40 minutes because of thick fog.

Heavy overnight rain had also forced tournament organizers to make the par-four sixth hole a par three for the third round.